Thanks to some timely goaltending by Tuukka Rask and the NHL’s ongoing decision to decide tie games after 65 minutes of hockey with a skills competition, the Bruins were able to at least salvage a tie during their two-game, two-day visit to Florida.

Coming off their shootout triumph over the Panthers last night, however, the Bruins were outplayed at the key moments tonight in Tampa an fell to the Lightning, 5-3, at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Nathan Horton’s two goals were wasted and Daniel Paille’s beautiful roofed-backhand shorthanded goal was relegated to just a footnote by a dismal team effort when it came time to take care of the puck and pick up players on the rush. While Rask was able to thwart some unbelievable breakaways against the Panthers, Tim Thomas was a little off his game against the Lightning.

But Thomas, who has lost back-to-back starts for the first time since October, was pretty down the list of players to blame for the Tampa Bay debacle. You can start the list with Joe Corvo, whose stats line epitomized what’s ailing the Bruins lately. On the ice for just 12:39, Corvo managed to post a minus-1 rating and fire just one shot on goal. His giveaway led directly to one goal and his decision to leave the front of the net unguarded so he could pursue a loose puck contributed to another Lightning score. This comes after he logged the fewest minutes among Bruins’ defensemen in Sunrise and was minus-2. It would benefit the Bruins if the blueliner’s nightly tribute to Tomas Kaberle ended its run as a limited engagement.

Corvo wasn’t alone, though, in making life easier on the Lightning. While the first line was active at the offensive end, Milan Lucic made an inexplicable giveaway in the middle of the Boston zone to set up one goal. One night after they were the best line on the ice, Patrice Bergeron, Tyler Seguin and Benoit Pouliot failed to hit the score sheet and seemed a step slow at both ends of the rink.

On the back end, Dennis Seidenberg and Andrew Ference had their share of struggles and Zdeno Chara continued to look a little less like the league’s best defenseman for about the fourth or fifth game in a row.

General manager Peter Chiarelli is never one overreact to a stretch of games, whether the Bruins are winning or losing, when it comes to his search for upgrades. Nonetheless, he has to be thinking top-four defenseman right now. And the best case for that type of target is how lackluster the Bruins when they beat Winnipeg and Montreal prior to leaving for their road trip, during which their record stands at 1-2-0.

The Bruins will look for a .500 road trip Thursday night at New Jersey. Luckily, Brad Marchand and Rich Peverley are scheduled to be back in the lineup. But Boston can’t rest on those returns. In order to earn a 2-2-0 record, they’ll need to also find their work ethic and some confident smarts with the puck.

david, and all you others with your fowler talk, you seem to write large amounts of paragraphs, but your talk of giving away all the bruins fringe and depth players and a bottom 5 first round pick for a player who will be a top 5 NHL defenseman in the next two years shows you have NO credibility. If we meet in person and you two told me what you just wrote I would laugh at you and walk away, go back to NHL 12.

Fowler? Schenn? Subban? This isn’t a videogame trade here, no way Anaheim, Toronto or even Montreal trades a good young Dman. Everyone is looking for a top four Dman, and if Boston tries for a deal they will pay through the nose. Gleason from Carolina, perhaps a Islander castoff like Streit or Beauchamin. Just looking for a stopgap, not a main piece.

Sorry, I meant to say we should not sell the farm, but we should make a decent run at another defenseman (top 4). If it appears that Calgary isn’t making the playoffs, then Giordano is an option. As well, Regher with Buffalo may be available. Somebody mentioned Beauchmin from Anaheim, he would fit the bill as well. We need another top four defenseman to go along with Chara, Boychuk, and Sidenberg.

I think we should try to hang on to Boychuk for 3-3.5 million. A year ago I would have said let him walk, but he has improved. He physical and doesn’t cough up the puck as much as he used to. As Bojangles said, we probably can’t get Fowler, but if Calgary doesn’t get into the playoffs, Girodano is a good fit for us. I don’t think we shouldn’t sell the farm, but when you have a good chance to win again you have to go for it.

Big Jim,
I think you mean that’s more than Fowler is worth , not that’s more than what it would take to get him. I think it will take a package of that sort from a team desperate enough to get him to convince Anaheim to part with him (which is more than he’s worth to be sure, but then again, what did we pay for kabby?). As you say, I doubt he’s up for sale though.

If we were really interested in pursuing a top 4 d-man, we might see if NYI is interested in moving Streit. Having him on a pair with Sidenberg/Chara would make the team look sexy, plus, the Islanders would likely be interested in picks and prospects, of which we have plenty. He’s also on contract for another year, which may or may not hurt his chances of either being moved or ending up here. I didn’t see too many d-men around the league who would be real rental players for the top 4 if we wanted them aside from Suter/Weber in Nashville. Those two will certainly clean out the farm if we go for them.

Did not have chance to explain need to get back to work but remember he is a break out of the zone master and might play more legit with the muscle we have. Marchand and zuban same team ah god would they get to the other teams let me have it in the words of bojangles

Bo,
I Think you’re right. I’d also like to explore moving Boychuck and strengthening the D. If we made a hockey deal, we could probably get Schenn out of Toronto for him and a prospect, and their d-men are terrific when they get here to boot (frown at a pic of Kaberle). I expect Chia to tinker, although I do doubt a blockbuster will happen in Boston. I pray, I PRAY we make an offer on Parise, though.

Big Jim,
That was kind of my point. Fowler will cost way too much, but is already a proven player, so we will need to pay a boatlaod to get him. a player like Beauchammin could probably be had for a 2nd rounder around the deadline or Caron/Hammill and 5th or something like that, which is more along the lines of what I expect Chia to do and think he should do.

Beauchemin (sp?) is a name I like. I know I’ll be assaulted some for this.. but I sometimes wonder about packaging Boychuk (FA in 2012) and improving his spot. I know he’s a fan favorite, but I think we overrate him a bit for his hitting his ‘johnny rocket’ (I call it a loose cannon) and for being just an awesome guy.

Two schools of thought. 1. Tinker and try to find another Kaberle, Corvo type (two strikes already), or; 2. Move a player and an asset to make a impactful upgrade.

If we’re going to end up paying Boychuk, I don’t know, $3 to $3.5 in his next contract, I’d like to see them explore some options.

david that is a crazy amount of players and a first rounder for one dude. they should move caron, he’s shown no marked improvement and they don’t have room for him anyway. hamill too for that matter. i keep spooner and knight if it’s up to me. the clock’s run out on hamill and is near so on caron. next year (i think) or the year after it’s dougie hamilton anyway so don’t sell the farm for a d man.

Corvo is an offensive defenseman who works well in such systems, and really in our system should be a bottom pair defenseman. Our system really doesn’t the offensive d-man’s “adventures” and Corvo, who is really a 2nd or 3rd tier offensive defensman will play better in other systems. He does help on our power play though, which if you remember last year’s playoffs was pitiful. I’d think he’s looking for a depth defensive defenseman or a more complete top 4. He’ll probably pull a move where he moves Hamill (who has fortunately been playing well at the right times) and maybe a low pick for an underrated player like Sidenberg was (hopefully with more offense though. We might send Kampfer or Bartkowski back as part of the deal too.

If we really wanted Fowler as someone suggested, it would definitely be something like Kampfer, Hamill, Koklachev, Corvo and a 1st I would think, although I don’t know why Anaheim would trade him. A player we might get off their roster though is Beauchamin. He’s got a lot of things to like about him, and since basically Sellane and Koivu are the only ones not on trade watch according to their GM, he might be a good one to watch.

I havn’t been terribly impressed with Thomas lately. Some of the goals he is letting in are goals he usually doesn’t let in. They are going in too easy. He doesn’t seem to be as mobile either…is he injured? Another problem with this team is that they don’t shoot fast enough, especially on the PP. They make a pass then look for an opening, but then they hesitate and the opening closes. They just have to pass and shoot some one timers. Stop trying to have the perfect shot.

I think Chia is on the hunt right know for a right handed defensman. Corvo is a marginal player for sure. The only thing I like about Corvo is he will shoot the puck unlike Kaberle who just looked for a pass. But we could use a right hand big time. On the positive side given the way we are playing we are still up there in the standings but it looks like we will limp into the allstar break just like the Christmas break. Anybody down in Providence we could call up for a go on D I don’t follow them?

I think a top four d-man is a must. There has to be a package out there sending Corvo, Caron or Hamill(my choice) or Spooner or Knight, and a second round pick, for a top four defenseman. We need another Sidenberg or Boychuk, or someone close to them. No need to panic, but I can’t see us beating the Rangers otherwise.

I missed the final 5:35, but the Bruins certainly gave Tampa Bay their first three goals. Sloppy defense again. I would have come back with Tuuka. He is the hot net minder. With this said I would rather see them struggle now than in late March or April.